Action films have proven to be one of the most invigorating genres to watch on any screen due to their death-defying stunts, high stake environments with relatively impressive visual effects and unrealistic yet intense scenarios. While these elements typically make up some of the best action movies of all time, nothing propels these films further than the effortless portrayals of their hardcore main characters.
Performances like Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, Milla Jovovich as Alice in the Resident Evil series, and Bruce Willis as John McClane often become synonymous with their respective series. However, not every performer had the opportunity to land these career-defining roles. Here are 12 major action roles that almost went to different actors.
12 Asa Butterfield as Spider-Man – Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The introduction of the teenage, web-slinging superhero Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe first began with a deal between Sony, Disney and Marvel Studios in February 2015. The deal would allow the companies to share the film rights of Spider-Man, allowing the popular superhero to join the likes of Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America in the highest-grossing film franchise in North America.
Before Tom Holland was cast in the role, multiple actors such as Nat Wolff, Timothée Chalamet, Charlie Rowe and Asa Butterfield either were considered or screen tested for the role. Butterfield, known at the time for his performances in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Hugo and Ender’s Game, was considered a front-runner along with Holland for the street-level hero.
While Holland eventually adorned the costume in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Butterfield’s passing of the role allowed him to work on Sex Education, one of Netflix’s most critically acclaimed original series.
11 Bruce Willis as Bill – Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Quentin Tarantino’s epic two volume series, Kill Bill, follows the Bride (Uma Thurman) as she seeks revenge on the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad and its leader, Bill (David Carradine). Tarantino originally wrote Bill for Warren Beatty, and he idealized the character as a James Bond-esque villain. When negotiations with Beatty fell through, Bruce Willis became one of the potential names Tarantino considered portraying the film’s central antagonist.
In an interview on the ReelBlend podcast, Tarantino stated, “I mean, frankly, the closest [to Bill’s original version] would have been Bruce.” And while the Die Hard star’s depiction of Bill would not have strayed from the original, Carradine’s version is often considered one of his best performances.
10 Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Black Canary – Birds of Prey (2020)
Before Gugu Mbatha-Raw made her debut as Ravonna Renslayer in Marvel’s Loki series, she was under consideration to join the DC Extended Universe in Birds of Prey. The film, starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, follows Quinn as she joins forces with the Birds of Prey to take down Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) and save Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco).
According to Deadline, Mbatha-Raw was heavily considered to take on the Black Canary moniker, a role that eventually went to Lovecraft Country’s Jurnee Smollett. While Black Canary would not have been Mbatha-Raw’s first superhero role, something she achieved with Fast Color in 2018, it would have been exciting to see another actress possibly venture into another studio’s lineup of superhero films.
9 Jeremy Renner as Max Rockatansky – Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The 2015 post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road was plagued by a tumultuous pre-production period. The film’s director and writer, George Miller, came up with the movie’s concept in 1987; however, pre-production did not begin until the early 2000s. Mel Gibson was sent to reprise his iconic portrayal of Max Rockatansky in the film, but a lengthy period of postponements due to the Iraq War, the Sept. 11 attacks and controversies surrounding Gibson led to the original plan being scrapped.
The film eventually began official production in 2009, with the casting process immediately getting underway. Among the many names contemplated for the central part of Max, three emerged as top contenders: Tom Hardy, Jeremy Renner and Armie Hammer. Even though Hardy’s audition eventually edged out his fellow competitors, Renner later found high success with his inclusion in the MCU as Hawkeye.
8 Matthew Modine as Pete Mitchell – Top Gun (1986)
2022 saw the return of Tom Cruise as Pete Mitchell in Top Gun’s long-awaited sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. The film, released 36 years after its predecessor, became a critical and financial success, grossing $1.493 billion and becoming the second highest-grossing film of the year. With all that in mind, it is hard to imagine anyone besides Cruise portraying the charismatic “Maverick.” However, Matthew Modine was initially considered for the lead role.
At the time, Modine was only known for a few minor roles and a breakthrough as the titular character in the 1984 drama, Birdy. When he was approached to lead the film, Modine turned down the offer. Years later, Modine said in an interview with Salon that he declined the offer because he “thought the movie was jingoistic,” or extremely patriotic.
7 Denise Richards as Lara Croft – Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
When it comes to strong female protagonists in the video game industry, no name is as synonymous with that title as Lara Croft, the main protagonist of the Tomb Raider franchise. After the release of the first Tomb Raider game in 1996, Croft rose in popularity and eventually became a cultural icon across the world. So, when it was announced that the hit franchise would be adapted into a theatrical film, rumors and tabloids emerged surrounding the actresses vying for the coveted role of Lara Croft.
Names such as Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones circulated, but the most prolific internet rumors surrounded Starship Trooper’s Denise Richards, whom many claimed was the favorite to take on the role. While it was stated in Entertainment Weekly that Richards was among the list of names considered for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, she was “not at the top of it.”
Even though she did not win the role, Richards was still able to fulfill her action desires as Bond girl Christmas Jones in The World is Not Enough.
6 Thandiwe Newton as Alex Munday – Charlie’s Angels (2000)
In an interview with Vulture in 2020, British actress Thandiwe Newton revealed that she turned down the role of Alex Munday in Charlie’s Angels due to feeling uncomfortable with incidents including the film’s director, McG, and Amy Pascal, former co-chairperson of Sony Pictures. Newton recalled McG wanting to use a close-up of her character’s ass in the opening shot, and Pascal describing her portrayal of Munday as not believable because the character has “been to university and is educated.”
Lucy Liu replaced Newton after she stepped down from the role, starring alongside Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore in the 2000 film and its sequel in 2003. Fortunately, Newton’s chops in action were fulfilled with roles in Shade and Mission: Impossible II.
5 Arnold Schwarzenegger as John McClane – Die Hard (1988)
Action movies in the 1980s were prime locations for actors who fit the muscular, macho man archetype in the industry. And while casting was underway for the role of John McClane in the 1988 hit Die Hard, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s physique fit the mold.
Schwarzenegger was initially offered the role, but he declined due to his role in The Terminator earlier that year. He wanted to break out of action and into comedy, opting to star in Twins instead. Conversely, Bruce Willis ended up taking the role — only this time, opting to break out of comedy and into the action genre.
4 Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones –Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Harrison Ford’s career has spanned many decades, becoming the seventh highest-grossing actor in North America. His resume is full of memorable roles that he has made his own, such as Han Solo in the Star Wars series, Rick Deckard in Blade Runner and its sequel, and Indiana Jones in the titular film series. However, he was not the original choice for the world-traveling archaeologist.
Tom Selleck was the original choice for Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, due to story creator George Lucas being weary of Ford’s involvement after his role as Han Solo in the recent Star Wars film. Before Selleck could commit to the film, his ties to the development of the CBS crime drama Magnum, P.I. led to his withdrawal from the film.
Selleck’s adaptation of Indiana Jones would have been interesting to witness, but there is no denying that Ford’s account has become one of the most iconic roles in film.
3 Maika Monroe as Alita – Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
The breakout star of It Follows, Maika Monroe, was one of three actresses vying for the titular role in Alita: Battle Angel. Monroe, Zendaya, and Rosa Salazar all screen tested for the major part in April, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with Salazar winning the part in May. The role centers around Alita, an abandoned cyborg with no recollection of her past. As the film progresses, Alita’s memories emerge, and her true destiny is revealed.
Even though Monroe did not land the role of Alita in 2016, her work in action continued with prominent roles in profitable films such as The 5th Wave and Independence Day: Resurgence.
2 Will Smith as Neo – The Matrix (1999)
Before Keanu Reeves was solidified as Neo in The Matrix, The Wachowski sisters and Warner Bros. Pictures approached many actors like Nicolas Cage and Val Kilmer for the role. A gender-swapped female version of Neo was even considered for Sandra Bullock. Everyone besides Reeves turned down the role, but Will Smith’s decision became one of the Academy Award winner’s notorious rejections.
Smith uploaded a YouTube video in 2019 where he spoke about his decision to turn the role. There, he cited his confusion toward the film’s script and uncertainty about the film’s famous bullet slowdown time effects as catalysts for his departure.
"Keanu was perfect. Laurence Fishburne was perfect. If I had done it, because I'm black, then Morpheus wouldn't have been black. They were looking at Val Kilmer. I was gonna be Neo and Val Kilmer was gonna be Morpheus, so I probably would have messed The Matrix up. I would have ruined it. So I did y'all a favor."
1 John Boyega as Miles – Baby Driver (2017)
The critically acclaimed box office hit Baby Driver was released in 2017. The Edgar Wright written and directed project sees Ansel Elgort as Miles, a getaway driver hoping to leave a life of crime behind him.
Before official funding was even considered for the film, Wright was keen on beginning the process of casting the lead role in the film. Among the list of names contemplated for the role, Star Wars star John Boyega emerged as one of the top contenders, according to news outlets.
A taped audition of Elgort lip-syncing to “Easy” by the Commodores earned him the lead spot over Boyega and Logan Lerman, but it did not end the two’s careers in action. Lerman would go on to star in Bullet Train, while Boyega’s career continued with the Star Wars saga.